According to CNET News.com, AOL plans to launch AIM Phoneline a free service for AIM users to communicate with any phone. This service is said to be different than typical voice over instant messaging in that it will offer a free phone number.
There will also be a $14.95 upgrade for those that would like unlimited calling in the United States and 30 other countries.
This seems pretty interesting. I think VOIP is starting to catch on a lot more. The only thing that bothers me is I don’t think most people like talking to their computer. A handset might be useful, but that would pull away from the free service. I think video conferencing over instant messaging would seem to be a technology better suited for computer users. With bandwidth increasing I can see more and more people taking this path.
